Iran summer box office: 600 billion rilas with 'Sperm Whale 2’ atop

Total sales for Iranian movies at the domestic box office in summer amount to 600 billion rials, a local media report says.

The Friday report said that the figure was obtained based on statistics from a reputable cinema website based in Iran, adding ‘Sperm Whale 2’ by Saman Moqaddam stands atop the list of most successful flicks at the country’s ticket window.

Mohammad Qased Ashrafi, head of Cinema Owners Association in Iran also told local media that in total sales, Iranian movies “grossed well” at the summer box office, adding “We have some high-grossing flicks such as ‘Sperm Whale 2’, ‘Subdued’ and Oxidan” during this time bracket.

Rounding out the top five movies at the domestic box office in summer include Oxidan’ by Hamed Mohammadi, ‘5 PM’ by Mehran Modiri, Hamid Nematollah’s ‘Subdued’ and 'Under the Smoky Roof' by Pouran Derakhshandeh.

‘Sperm Whale 2’ tells the story of Roya (Mahnaz Afshar), who had dreams of migration to the US, but finally agreed to marry Arjang Senoubar (Reza Attaran) in her homeland.

The comedy saw a huge reception by the public, who related to the film’s nostalgia depicting the past four decades of Iran with references to important social and political developments.

The film also has Persian and English songs and melodies.

‘Sperm Whale 2’ is a sequel to Moqaddam’s hit flick of the same title, a comedy released in 2015, which became a best-seller with USD 2 million in ticket sales.

AG/AG